Third rail for electric railways.



No. 757,138. PATENTED APR. 12, 1904. P. T. MUGOWAN. THIRD RAIL FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

APPLICATION FILED DBO. 22, 1903.

N0 MODEL'.

35' inclined side surface 6.

UNITED STATES Patented April 1a, 1:004. f

PATENT OJFFICE.

PATRICK T. :McGO'WAN, or AVOCA, ,PENNSYLVANIA. I

' THIRD RAIL FosELEo-rmc muwmrs,

Application iiledDeoember 22, 1903- Serial No. 186,174. (No model.)

. Rails for Electric Railways; and I do hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawingsfin which-=- 1 Figure 1 is across-section of a portion of I the road-bed of a third-rail system embody i'ng my invention, and Fig. 2 is a perspective.

view of a portion of my third rail.

. The object of my invention is to provide a third rail of such construction as will insure immunity of the surface along which the collector or brush passes" from snow, ice, or moisture without the employment of any housing or hood therefor and which will be inexpensive in construction and application to the road-bed and capable of ready substitution for rails of other types; and to these ends my invention consists in the construction substantially-as hereinafter specified and v claimed. w

. In cross-section my third rail A has abase and vertical web similar to the base and web of the ordinary T-raiL- Projecting laterally from the top of the web is' a flange B, havinga side surface 6, which inclines downward and inward and which surface isthe one with which the collector or brush'C has contact, and an upper surface 6', that also inclines downward from the point where it joins the By reason ofthe downward and inward inclination of'the brushengagin-g surface '6 it will be seen to be impossible for snow or moisture to, accumulate upon it, for-if it lodges thereon it willimmediately' pass off, and snow or moisture falling upon the upper surface 6' will tend to pass: off therefrom in a direction away from theside surface'b, so that likelihoodofmoisture from the upper surface passing to the brushengaging surface is obviated.

My rail is placed on the road-bed uponsuit srncmcn'rxon forming ea of Letters; ma No. 757,138, dated April 12, 1904.

able insulators, and, as will be evident, its form is such that the work of applying it may be most'readily' done, both in respect to the matter of originalinstallation and therep'lace- 5 ment by my. rail of other types of rail. Its

form is such, also, as will be evident, as to admit' of its inexpensivev manufacture.

- In order to providesecurity from danger to persons from the current, insulators D are 55. secured at intervals by bolts to the upper side of-the rail to support a wooden rail or plank E, the bolts also serving to fasten the latter. The top of the rail Einclin'es like the third rail to shed water, etc. This guard or pro tector, however, may be omitted, if desired.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim is'- I p 1.' A third rail having a base consisting of opposite,- hori zontally-extending flanges, a .5 web rising from the base, and a laterally-em. tending flange at the topof the. web, having a brush-engaging side surface.

2. A third rail having a brush-engaging side surface that inclines downward and in- 7 ward.-

3. A third rail having a brush-engaging side surface that inclines downward and inward, and an upper surface that inclines downward from the point where it joins the side surface. I U

' ,4. A third rail having a base consisting of opposite, horizontally {extending flanges, a web rising from the base, anda laterally-extending. flange at the top of the web, having.

side surface, and a guard attached to and supported by the top of the rail. Y 5 In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand. A V PATRIGK'T. McGOWAN.. Witnesses;

.JoHN R. REAP, FRANCIS A. HARMON. 

